The invention relates to the field of polysilane thin films, and in particular to forming patternable waveguides using polysilane.
The traditional fabrication process for microelectronics is approaching physical boundaries on multiple fronts as the demand for faster computer chips continues to follow Moore's Law. Photonic chips offer a potential solution with the use of high bandwidth optical circuitry. Polysilane materials synthesized using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) are photorefractive polymers that undergo a change in refractive index upon exposure to ultraviolet light. This contrast has been observed to be on the order of 5%.
A waveguide with this level of refractive index contrast can turn with a radius of 1 mm and continue to contain light. The PECVD polysilanes are highly transmissive to light in the visible and near infrared regions of the spectrum, which are most commonly utilized in photonic applications. Traditional waveguide microfabrication involves the use of solvent and aqueous rinse. Thus, there is a need in the art to use a dry fabrication process to form patternable waveguides without using solvents or aqueous rinses.